on the broadcast this new year's day, on the brink. with congress still unable to make up its mind on the fiscal cliff, tonight, many americans are asking, what is going on in washington? secretary hillary clinton still hospitalized with a blood clot. tonight, the latest on her condition and what doctors say you need to know about head injuries. day one, a new year and new rules that could change your life. plus why this new year's day has special significance. and making a difference by learning the art of healing. for these kids, it's just what the doctor ordered. "nightly news" begins now.

good evening. i'm kate snow in for brian tonight. it is almost hard to overstate the mess washington finds itself in tonight and the disbelief many americans are expressing on this holiday. as congress fails to agree on taxes and government spending measures that have a direct impact on every single american. this new year's day started right after the ball dropped with a lot of hopeful language. the senate voted after 2:00 a.m. on a bipartisan deal that the president praised. but now an impasse. we'll begin our coverage tonight on capitol hill with more from nbc's kelly o'donnell. >> reporter: good evening. congress is in overnight. after missing the midnight deadline, they are trying to work something else out. their own terms here in congress running out on thursday. even though the white house and senate made a deal, it is tough to get it through the house.

at a bleary-eyed 2:00 in the morning, senators actually did what many constituents loudly demand -- both parties compromised to pass a fiscal cliff package. >> the ayes are 89, the nays are 8. >> reporter: then came daylight. and gop lawmakers hit a complaint from their own house republicans who expected to see some spending cuts. >> there's no spending cuts. we're adding $4 billion a day to the debt. >> i thought we were in a deficit crisis. i thought our families were being put at risk by this massive debt. what does this do about that? >> reporter: reducing the federal deficit was supposed to be at the heart of any deal, with serious spending cuts. in a gesture, the senate did cancel congressional pay raises but put off bigger action with a two-month delay of automatic government cuts to the military and federal program. the package would actually add more debt, when you count

critical needs like extending unemployment benefits for one year, without making cuts to pay for them. house democratic leaders say they will work on cuts later but preventing income tax hikes is needed now. >> i think we've made gigantic progress. >> reporter: while middle class families keep their current tax rates, brace yourself for other taxes. rates go up for couples making above $450,000. paychecks for all workers get smaller. the payroll social security tax goes back up 2%, costing about $1,000 a year for an average worker. personal deductions would be limited for incomes above $250,000. taxes on savings, investments and family inheritances go up. but good news for middle class families. a permanent fix to protect them from paying the alternative min minimum tax. for many watching this unfold, more disappointment.

>> i feel it's quite disturbing that our elected officials cannot come together to make decisions in the best judgment of the people. >> the fact that congress can't do anything is a laughingstock anyway. nobody has any faith in them to begin with. >> reporter: what happens next? >> house republicans are huddled trying to figure out if they would have the votes if they made changes to add spending cuts. they will take a vote tonight on the measure the way the white house and the senate wrote it. more to come. >> as always. kelly o'donnell on capitol hill. our chief white house correspondent and political director chuck todd joins us now. chuck, there are some voices out there saying, good for the house republicans, they're standing on their principles. but a lot of voices are also saying, how much longer is this going to take? >> reporter: it may be a new year but old habits are dying hard with this congress. we're in the last throes of the typical theatrics that have been

the norm in washington over the last couple of years. there's going to be a few more shenanigans before the night is over. but they're probably going to end up voting on this bill. if they don't approve it, do realize, if they don't approve it, the senate is not going to take up any bill. and that means this entire fiscal cliff miss will not be solved at all. they'll have to start all over with the new congress which gets sworn in in two days. and it could take weeks and everybody's taxes go up. it doesn't -- not just $250,000. everybody's taxes go up. so it could be a real mess. but i think we're in the last throes of sort of the washington shenanigans. >> and you're standing on the white house lawn. how is the white house dealing with today's developments? >> reporter: they have been nothing but bystanders today. i think at the beginning of the day, we caught pictures of a van being loaded up with luggage and golf clubs, presumably maybe the president's. i think there's been an expectation that this would get

done some time today and maybe the president could rejoin his family back in hawaii. but right now, he is a spectator to all of this as he waits to see whether he has any legislation to sign in the next day or two. >> chuck todd at the white house tonight, thanks so much. the health scare for secretary of state hillary clinton who is still hospitalized on this new year's day with a blood clot behind her right ear. andrea mitchell joins us with the latest. >> reporter: hillary clinton continues treatment with blood thinners to dissolve that potentially dangerous blood clot which was discovered during a follow-up test after she suffered a concussion several weeks ago. her husband, former president bill clinton, her daughter and other family members are believed to be with her at the hospital. doctors report that hillary clinton remains engaged with the family team and with the medical team and is in good spirits.

she hasn't shown any evidence of neurological damage and did not suffer a stroke. but the secretary of state does have to remain in the hospital until doctors can regulate the anti- coacoagulant anti-coagulants. any foreign travel is on hold and will likely delay her testifying to congress about benghazi as she had promised before her illness. >> andrea mitchell in washington tonight, thank you so much. secretary clinton's health problems started last month when she fainted after being dehydrated from a stomach virus. she suffered a concussion in that fall leading to the blood clot she's dealing with now, all of which is bringing attention to the dangers of head injuries. we asked robert bazell to take a look at how blood clots are treated and injuries. >> reporter: the type of blood clot that struck mrs. clinton is potentially dangerous but it is not a typical complication of a

concussion. >> patients who have a concussion, very rarely have this type of injury. this would be similar to the clot that she had. >> reporter: it's more common that a concussion would cause bleeding inside the brain. but doctors say a brain scan looking for that problem would find a clot. mrs. clinton's clotd formed in a vein on the surface of the brain. it could grow larger causing blood to back up into the brain. that could cause a stroke. doctors prevent that with blood thinners which slowly dissolve the clot. once the clot was discovered, doctors say mrs. clinton would have gotten an iv drip with a strong blood thinner, replaced a few days later with a less powerful thinner in pill form. the entire time, doctors would be watching her closely, usually in the icu. >> you're observing the patient to make sure that they're

stable. you want to make sure that they're not developing new symptoms. >> reporter: concussions have gotten attention lately as sports injuries among children. mrs. clinton's case is a reminder that they can happen to anyone. whether the danger is a rare blood clot near the brain or bleeding inside the brain, anyone who suffers a concussion should seek immediate medical care in the days or even weeks afterward if they have any of these symptoms -- a bad headache, weak or numb limbs, vomiting and nausea or slurred speech. experts say the best news for mrs. clinton is that she reportedly has no neurological damage, the best indication that the clot was caught in time to give her on excellent chance for a full recovery. robert bazell, nbc news, new york. let's turn now to the reason most of you had this tuesday off. it is new year's day, of course, ushered in last night around the world including a few blocks from here in new york's times square. even with temperatures near freezing, about 1 million people

were estimated to be on hand seeing the ball drop, saying good-bye to 2012 and welcoming in 2013. sanitation workers picked up an estimated 50 tons of trash. and there are all kinds of new laws across the country. in maryland, same-sex marriage there is legal as of today. and couples rang in 2013 with wedding bells. voters approved that gay marriage measure back in november. that was one of hundreds of new laws that went into effect as the new year began, from new restrictions on the use of social media to an increase in the minimum wage. nbc's justice correspondent, pete williams, has more. >> reporter: beginning today in california and illinois, it's against the law for an employer to ask anyone applying for a job to reveal user names or passwords for social media sites like facebook. johnny says it happened to him at a job interview. >> it's rude and not respectful. someone has privacy.

you expect them to respect that. >> reporter: though job placement experts advise leaving embarrassing photos off social media sites, an employer doesn't have the right to rummage through an applicant's past. >> it's like saying, i want the keys to your house to look around. >> reporter: as of today in washington state, nearly every home, apartment, dormitory and hotel room must have a carbon monoxide detector. the law was prompted in part by eight deaths during a severe storm six years ago that knocked out power. >> a lot of our people that live in this area felt they had no alternative but to bring something into their home to either heat or cook with. >> reporter: in florida, the law means it's now legal for drivers to warn of a speed trap ahead. the minimum wage starting today

goes up in ten states where it's more than the federal rate of $7.75 an hour. washington has the highest of those states. and say farewell to the 75 watt lightbulb. as of today, it will no longer be made and will vanish when existing stocks are gone. pete williams, nbc news, washington. when "nightly news" continues in just a moment, this can be the most dangerous day of the year, out on the road. and now there's a new way to stop trouble before it starts. and later, making a difference by giving kids the training and the tools to succeed. [ male announcer ] coughequence™ #8. waking the baby.

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new year's eve is notorious for drunk driving accidents and that risk extends right into new year's day. fully half of all car accidents that happen on the first day of the year involve l cho. but there's a new way to head off the danger. here's nbc's diana alviar. >> reporter: it took the jaws of life to save this police officer. >> my daughter was taken from me at a beautiful point in her life. >> reporter: but ginger walker did not. that was 2001. the young mother was driving a friend home when a vehicle crossed the median and hit her car head-on. ginger died instantly. her young son, shea, left behind

to be raised by his grandparents. >> there's nothing i can do to change the circumstances. but i want to save another parent from having to bury their child. >> reporter: the ntsb believes this device may make a difference. i passed. so that means the car would start? >> right. >> reporter: it's called an ignition interlock that keeps impaired drivers from starting their vehicles. if they've been drinking more alcohol than allowed by court -- >> most likely you'll get a fail. >> reporter: and then what? >> and then the car won't start. >> reporter: already required in 17 states, the ntsb now recommends all states require ignition interlocks for first-time offenders. >> if we can save ten lives, 100 lives, we will recommend what we think needs to be done to address impaired driving. >> reporter: the ntsb studied more than 100 wrong-way crashes over a five-year period. 60% of these accidents involved alcohol and many drivers had

prior convictions for drunk driving. not everyone supports the recommendation. the american beverage institute points out that drunk driving fatalities are at historically low levels. that's little assurance for ginger's mother. >> the experience took away a beautiful daughter, a beautiful mother, a beautiful sister. >> reporter: a needless event, she says, that should never happen to anyone else. diana alviar, nbc news, los angeles. up next on this new year's day, even more reasons to love a parade. watch out for myself. with so much noise about health care... i tuned it all out. with unitedhealthcare, i get information that matters... my individual health profile. not random statistics. they even reward me for addressing my health risks. so i'm doing fine... but she's still going to give me a heart attack. we're more than 78,000 people looking out for more than 70 million americans. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare.

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i think they see somebody. >> that was the moving scene during this morning's rose parade in pasadena. a u.s. army sergeant surprised his wife and his 4-year-old, eric, with a happy reunion. a recipient of the purple heart and bronze star, he served in

iraq and is currently serving in afghanistan. that wasn't the only first at the parade. the department of defense entered its first-ever float, a replica of washington's korean war memorial to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of what is often called the forgotten war. and a couple from chesapeake, virginia, got married atop an elaborate set up called the love float. this new year's day has special historical significance as well. it is the 150th anniversary of the signing of the emancipation proclamation when president abe lam lincoln abolished slavery with the stroke of a pen. today, a postage stamp was issued as a result. our report tonight from nbc's ron mott. >> reporter: 2:00 today in amhurst, massachusetts, and else

where, marking the 150th celebration of the emancipation proclamation. >> we're at a better time in history. >> reporter: at 2:00 p.m. on january 1st, 1863, president abraham lincoln is said to excuse himself from the east room. he headed to his office upstairs, now the lincoln bedroom, and signed the emancipation proclamation. >> this morning, lincoln had shaken thousands of hands. so when he went to sign the emancipation proclamation, his own hand was numb and shaking. he put the pen down. he said, if ever my soul were in an act, it is in this act. but if i sign with a shaking hand, posterity will say he hesitated. so he waited and waited. >> reporter: while his historic signature on the frail document has faded a bit over time, his bold decree still wields power. though declaring rebel states free in writing, in reality, the

emancipation proclamation did not. but announcing the admittance of black soldiers into forces -- >> colored soldiers. just think of it. >> reporter: the dynamics of the ongoing and bloody civil war were transformed. >> they were enormously brave, enormously important and very helpful to the union cause. and it changed the morale in many parts of the north by feeling that this whole extra infusion of energy had come into the union cause. >> reporter: a cause that changed a nation. ron mott, nbc news, new york. when we come back, a doctor who makes a house call for an entire community, changing kids' lives and making a difference. we'll do almost anything. out for drinks, eats. i have very well fitting dentures. i like to eat a lot of fruits. love them all. the seal i get with the super poligrip free keeps the seeds from getting up underneath. even well-fitting dentures let in food particles. super poligrip is zinc free. with just a few dabs, it's clinically proven to seal out more food particles

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the number one pharmacist recommended cold brand designed for people with high blood pressure. and the only one i use to relieve my cold symptoms without raising my blood pressure. coricidin hbp. time now for our "making a difference" report. for kids growing up in economically troubled neighborhoods, the future can look pretty bleak, with few opportunities to train for secure, good-paying jobs. but thanks to the efforts of a very caring doctor, some california students are training more medical careers a, an inspiring effort that's really making a difference. here's nbc's dr. nancy

snyderman. >> reporter: angela, a teenage mom, is defying the odds, raising her daughter alone, working two jobs, finishing high school. and attending a unique after-school program in oakland and hayward, california, called faces for the future, that exposes students from high-risk communities to careers in health care. >> you can't go wrong when you're studying medicine. >> reporter: the first in his family to go to college, he earned a medical degree and chose to practice in oakland from one in four kids drops out of school and violent street crime is more than four times greater than the national average, shoes strung over power lines he says signals a crack house is nearby. during the two-year program, the teens shadow medical professionals and put in 600 hours of volunteer time, gaining hands-on experience and

self-confidence. >> i have seen too many young people suffer. if they can articulate that five years down the line, i want to be a therapist, i want to be a doctor, i want to be a nurse, that's the best. >> reporter: since faces began 13 years ago, 500 teens have completed the course, including felicity harris rnlg. >> i'm in a masters program now and still working. >> reporter: all graduated from high school, many have gone on to college. >> my dream is to work in a hospital. >> reporter: what would you say to a girl like you with what you know about life now? >> i would tell her that it's going to get better, keep going to school and life will get better. >> reporter: with help from a caring mentor, sharing his prescription for success. >> there you go! >> reporter: dr. nancy snyderman, nbc news, hayward, california. >> and that is our broadcast for this new year's day. thank you for being with us. i'm kate snow in for brian

williams. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night.